Office of Computer and Communications Systems

OCCS Mission

The Office of Computer and Communications Systems (OCCS) provides efficient, cost-effective computing and networking services, technical advice, and collaboration in informational sciences in support of the research and management programs offered through NLM.

OCCS develops and provides the NLM backbone computer networking facilities, and supports, guides, and assists other NLM components in local area networking. The Division provides professional programming services and computational and data processing facilities to meet NLM program needs; operates and maintains the NLM Computer Center; designs and develops software; and provides extensive customer support, training courses and seminars, and documentation for computer and network users.

OCCS helps to coordinate, integrate, and standardize the vast array of computer services available throughout all of the organizations comprising NLM. The Division also serves as a technological resource for other parts of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and for other Federal organizations with biomedical, statistical, and administrative computing needs.

The Division promotes the application of High Performance Computing and Communication to biomedical problems, including image processing.

The OCCS staff develops computer-based systems for information retrieval applications, conducts computer science and engineering research and development, and consults and collaborates in the area of advanced electronic office automation facilities. They support software systems to perform these services, and conduct research and evaluations for best fit solutions to information access needs.

About OCCS

Provides overall program and management direction for OCCS including development of new initiatives and liaison with NLM/OD and all NIH OIRM offices, centers, and divisions and provides liaison with other Federal agency IRM offices.

OCCS BRANCH DESCRIPTION
 
SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY BRANCH
 

Systems Services Section

Provides systems programming support to UNIX operating systems, NLM retrieval engines, and management support utilities.

Facilities Management Section

Provides direct management of and operations support for the NLM computer center with its associated telecommunications and UNIX based computer processors.

Network Engineering Section

Ensures proper network operation to a vast array of Novell IPX and Internet IP based file and application servers with associated management, maintenance, and performance tuning for optimal throughput.

Desktop Services Section

Provided Library-wide software user assistance, administrative workstation support, and workstation hardware platform integration, upgrades, configuration coordination.

APPLICATIONS BRANCH
 

Information Management Section

Directly manages software analysis, development, testing and support of NLM information access facilities, and maintenance to NLM data stores.

Software Support Section

Provides project coordination, system prototyping, and early evaluation resources for short and long term NLM re-invention mandates.

Staff Directory

Last reviewed: 12 March 2007
Last updated: 12 March 2007
First published: 10 May 2004
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanence Not Guaranteed